This past week, Q-line asked: Do water quality ratings affect when or where you go swimming?
Here are your responses: “OF COURSE WATER QUALITY RATINGS affect where I would go swimming. Never do I swim in Santa Monica. It boggles the mind that surfing classes this summer use the worst area of water for their classes. How could the parents commit their children to be there?”
“THE OCEANS OF THE WORLD ARE polluted and never safe for swimming and should only be used by the best swimmers who are willing to risk infection from pollution and the dangers of rip tides, sharks and other forms of poisonous marine life. Public swimming pools are un-healthful due to human waste and open sores upon the skin of those who use the pools. That is why so much chlorine is used to abate the various forms of illness causing bacteria that float into the eyes, ears and noses of those who choose to swim there. Backyard residential swimming pools localize the dangers within the family, friends and neighbors. Still if not cleaned, it becomes very much like swimming in the toilet. Ocean ratings will not influence me due to my intention of not presenting as much as one of my toes to the ocean water. Still there are the hard heads. I do a great deal of bike riding on the bike path and I see — on a regular basis — adults and children crossing the bike path in soaking wet bathing suits. The hard heads of the world have little regards for beach ratings or the various signs warning of ocean pollution.”
“I OCCASIONALLY GO INTO THE water, but have never had any problems. The real reason not to go into the water is because it is so cold. Unless it is a really hot day, the water is too cold to enjoy. Of course you can still go down to the beach to look at the pretty girls in bikinis and see all the artists, look at the girls, buy stuff from the vendors, look at the girls in bikinis and watch the street performs. As far as the bacteria, I’ve never had any problems.”
“THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US informed. Yes, sir, it is the rating that affect where I swim or where my family goes swimming. The bums, who you call homeless, are the number one thing trashing our beaches. The most disgusting trash is the disposable diapers. What kind of mothers are they that toss these aside. What gives them the idea that others will clean up after them. Come on people, clean it up and take responsibility for your space. We deserve to have clean oceans and clean beaches.”
“I DISTANCE SWIM JUST ABOUT EVERY day in the Santa Monica bay from the end of may to the middle of October. I’ve done this for 40 years. Except for the Pico- Kenter storm drain, I haven’t noticed any notice difference in the ocean water.
We’ve had 20 years of Heal the Bay and all we get are these stupid beach report cards trying to scare us out of swimming in the ocean. How much money does Mark Gold of Heal the Bay receive in salary? What kind of Ph.D. does he have? Where did he go to school? What were his grades? Heal the bay is another Santa Monica non-profit sucking at the tax payers wallet. What has it cost the taxpayers monetarily by this one non-profit being overly friendly to the life preservers on the City Council.”
“I DO CHECK THE WATER QUALITY ratings when I go swimming in the ocean because it is important to swim in the areas with the highest ratings because up and down the coast you never know what localized problem there is with water runoff. It is important to check the ratings so I don’t go swimming next to the Santa Monica Pier.”
“IS THIS A TRICK QUESTION? YOU want to know if a sign saying the water is overly polluted affects when and where we go swimming. Who in their right mind would go swimming in a polluted part of the ocean? It is like, duh, duh and again duh. Maybe you do have to ask the question.”
“DO WATER QUALITY RATINGS AFFECT where I would go swimming... hell no, I would never swim in that stanky-ass ocean. Between the seaweed, the stuff under your feet in the sand, the sharks and the fecal matter, wow, what a petri dish of nasty. Surfers at Surfrider Beach continue to surf in the most polluted spot because of their ego. They are there to get the gallery to watch them. I believe the surfers in Venice and Santa Monica are similarly motivated. I would never put a toe in that water. Forget it. The water around the pier is the dirti-est. Duh, it is common sense people.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 6, 2007. Read the original PDF.